2 From front page: Meet our new Employment Officer... I would like to introduce myself, my name is John Perry. I am a blind person with a neurological condition and I have been providing training, counselling and practical support for many years. I am the new Employment Officer for Neurosupport, offering support for individuals with a neurological condition, their families and carers. This can include help with looking for work, retaining your job, self-employment, or finding training and educational opportunities. I will help both individuals and employers to get the right equipment, practical support and, where and when appropriate, will work with others to ensure reasonable adjustments are in place for those who may require them in order to carry out their work. If you or anyone you know would like to contact me, please do so as shown below: Direct Dial: Mobile: The Merseyside branch of the national charity, the Spinal Injuries Association (SIA), has been active for over 15 years. The group was founded to provide help, advice and assistance to patients, relatives, friends and care providers throughout the whole North West region. Membership of the group is free. All you need do is attend one of our regular monthly meetings or social nights armed with nothing more than a smile, although chocolate biscuits do help smooth any introductions! Our group is as much about socialising as self help and, as such, we have a very broad membership from all walks of life. To help reduce the huge knowledge gap in many areas of spinal injury, we are staging a free seminar related to Funding and Managing Care Needs. This will be held at Neurosupport on 6th May and is open to all. A Housing seminar will follow later in the year. SIA Merseyside meets on the first Wednesday of each month at Neurosupport. Meetings start at 2:30pm and finish at 5pm. For more details contact Stephen Cronin (Chair, SIA Merseyside) via Neurosupport on or look for us on Facebook at Spinal Injuries Liverpool 2 Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers

3 Brain Awareness Week By Carol Hopwood March saw the arrival of Spring and with it Brain Awareness Week. For many, Spring is associated with new beginnings and hopefully a lightening of mood, with light mornings and longer days. However, for many the seasons no longer hold any significance, life as they knew it has changed forever and it is difficult to see hope or have optimism for the future. I am speaking of those thousands of people every year who sustain a traumatic brain injury or develop a neurological condition. In my job, I meet many families whose loved one has suffered a serious or catastrophic injury. I meet them in their darkest hours as they pray for their loved ones to survive. Later, they are trying to come to terms with a very different life. One that centres around hospital, rehabilitation, fighting the benefits system, financial hardships, failing relationships and more. I am told that people don t understand, that because it s a brain injury and thus not visible people are less accommodating, less understanding than perhaps they would be if the injury was visible. I recall speaking to a seasoned police officer who confessed that when a rookie officer he mistook someone with a brain injury for a drunk and was not as fast as he would otherwise have been to offer assistance. Brain Awareness Week is a good time for all of us to stop and reflect. What would it be like to live in the shoes of someone with a brain injury or neurological condition. How would we cope with losing our job, our identity, our health, our friends and even family. To be dependent on others to exist, to become 'invisible'. That is why it is so important for all of us to work hard to ensure that people who are living with a brain injury or neurological condition do not feel this way. The staff at Neurosupport do an amazing job to ensure this doesn t happen and to give people hope and normality again. A significant part of my role as a brain injury lawyer is to ensure families have access to the best rehabilitation, case management support and financial security as soon as possible. In all of the cases I deal with as a lawyer, another party has caused the injury and if successful, the costs of rehabilitation, care, equipment and loss of earnings are all paid for. However, there are many thousands of people who have the same needs but are reliant upon the NHS and statutory services to provide the support that they need. With budget cuts and financial constraints, it is inevitable that not all needs can be met. So, as we reflect on Brain Awareness Week, let us all consider what more we could do to help. Volunteering, fundraising, signposting, helping to educate people about brain injuries or just having time to sit and listen are all critical factors in helping those with a brain injury to enjoy a better quality of life. For a full list of fundraising activities and volunteering opportunities at Neurosupport please contact Carolyn Garlick on Carol Hopwood is the Head of the Brain and Spinal Injuries Team at Slater and Gordon Lawyers Liverpool Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers 3

4 From front page: Liz celebrates award win Neurosupport volunteer Liz Tunnicliffe was a very deserving winner at the recent Lord Mayor's Getting Involved Awards Ceremony, where she picked up the award for Making A Difference in the Community. Liz has been a Volunteer at Neurosupport for seven years and is a very valued and appreciated member of the team and we are delighted that her commitment and dedication to volunteering has been recognised with this award. We re really proud of you Liz, well done from everyone at Neurosupport! Fundraising is a Marathon for Claire... Clare Plowley is training hard after deciding to take on her very first Marathon, in Edinburgh this May, to raise funds for Neurosupport. She's doing all this to say thank you for the help that our Information and Advice Service gave to her mum following a diagnosis of Syringomyelia, a rare condition that affects the spinal cord. Big-hearted Clare has already raised an incredible 2,500 and the total is still rising. This is an amazing amount to be raised by one person and we think a bit of a record for our charity as it's all from one event! Good luck on the day Clare and a huge thank you from everyone at Neurosupport. You can read more about Claire s reasons for fundraising for us, keep up to date with her progress and show your support on her Just Giving Page: Are you claiming DLA? Those who are, will have already heard about the arrival of Personal Independence Payment (PIP). If you live in one of the affected postcode areas, including CH & L, and your fixed term DLA award is due to end on or after 6th April 2015 you will have received an invitation to apply for PIP. February 2015 saw the final rollout of PIP to the remaining postcodes not already covered, for those on fixed term DLA awards. If your fixed term DLA award is due to end on or after 13 July 2015 you will receive an invitation to claim for PIP rather than your usual renewal pack for DLA. Anyone from now on who wishes to submit a change of circumstances will be assessed under PIP and not DLA. From October 2015 everyone else still getting DLA and those who have been awarded indefinite period awards for DLA will be selected at random and invited to claim for PIP. Angela Wright, our benefits advisor, will be attending the coffee morning at Neurosupport on 11th May to help those claiming DLA understand the changeover to PIP. 4 Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers

5 From front page: Calling all Walkers! Our annual Snowdon Challenge is fast approaching! This year's event takes place on Saturday the 6th of June, and you can get involved either by getting sponsored to walk up the mountain or by helping us collect in the towns and villages that surround Snowdon on the day. It's 10 to register to take part; this includes a T-shirt, fundraising pack and transport to and from Snowdon. Registration for collectors is just 5, which includes coach transport. Everyone who joined us last year had a great day out and being part of the team taking on the challenge can be both rewarding and fun. Talking of teams, if you don t want to take part as an individual, maybe you could get a group of friends or work colleagues to join you or maybe the whole family would like to take part? Breathtaking scenery and plenty of fresh air is guaranteed and sitting on top of a mountain to eat your picnic is hard to beat. Just imagine the photos you will be able to post on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! If you d like to register to take part, or would like more information, contact either Jo or Paula on or register online at: ACTION FOR BRAIN INJURY DAY On Friday 22nd May, between 11am and 3pm, Headway Liverpool and the Merseyside Brain Injury Rehab Centre will be celebrating their third joint 'Action for Brain Injury Day' at Neurosupport. This free event will be opened by the Lord Mayor of Liverpool and a performance by St Austin s Catholic Primary School Samba Band. Stalls, Refreshments, Information and Grand Raffle! Stanley Ambrose of BBC Radio Merseyside s Folkscene will be attending and playing. There'll be presentations by neurological experts, along with a return of the ever popular Experts by Experience Panel For further information Mobile: Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers 5

6 Tuberous Sclerosis Association Meeting at Neurosupport Every month around ten babies are born in the UK with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC). This genetic condition can lead to growths in various organs of the body, but those more commonly affected are the brain, eyes, heart, kidney, skin and lungs. People with TSC may also develop epilepsy, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and renal problems. The growths may be referred to as tumours but they are not cancerous, it is mainly because of their size and where they are in the body that complex problems can arise. Some individuals will be diagnosed with TSC very early in life whilst others may not be diagnosed until later childhood, adolescence or adulthood. Some people are mildly affected and experience very few problems. Others may be more severely affected and this can become apparent in childhood or adulthood. The Tuberous Sclerosis Association (TSA) are the only UK charity dedicated to providing support services, medical research and also campaigning for the rights of people with TSC. Caring for the Carers Do you provide emotional, physical or financial care to someone with a terminal neurological condition? Being a carer can be very stressful. Increasing your ability to take greater care of yourself may help you to stay resilient and healthy in the face of stress. Kate Diggory, a PhD student at Liverpool John Moores University, is exploring an on-line training programme as a way of helping carers to do this. She's looking for carers who would be willing to complete a short questionnaire to help with her research. If you would like to take part please follow the link below for further information: Do You Need a Room for a Meeting or Conference? Why not book one of the modern meeting rooms at Neurosupport and help fund our activities? All income raised from our room hire goes directly to underpinning the vital work we do supporting people with neurological conditions. Neurosupport provides the best in up-to-date and accessible rooms for hire. We can accommodate groups of 2 to 100 people and are fully equipped with the latest in audio-visual & multimedia technology. Our building is centrally located with good transport links. We offer a small amount of on-site parking and plenty of space for Blue Badge holders. To find out more, contact Chris Wall, by or tel: The next meeting of the TSA is at Neurosupport on Tuesday May 12th from 10am - 12 noon. For more information please contact Tel: Or visit the TSA website: 6 Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers

8 Neurosupport Diary May 2015 Friday 1st Parkinson's UK Support Group 2-4pm Wednesday 6th Welfare Benefits Advice 1-4 pm* Merseyside Spinal Injury Group, Care Needs Seminar, open to all 3-5pm Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Group 5-7pm Monday 11th Tea, Coffee & Company Morning, PIP talk pm Tuesday 12th Tuberous Sclerosis Support Group 10-12pm Wednesday 13th Welfare Benefits Advice 1-4 pm* Monday 18th Alzheimer's Society Support Group 2-4pm Tuesday 19th Neurosupport Craft Club pm Wednesday 20th Welfare Benefits Advice 1-4 pm* Thursday 21st Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) Support Group 1-3pm Friday 22nd Action for Brain Injury Day 11-3pm Monday 25th Brain Tumour Support Group 1-4pm * Appointments only. Call Neurosupport on The Diary may be subject to change. Please contact the Neurosupport Centre to confirm. About Neurosupport Neurosupport offers practical and emotional support to people with neurological conditions and to their families, friends and carers. We aim to: Raise awareness and understanding of neurological conditions Empower individuals and families to manage their conditions and realise their full potential Facilitate neurological charities to work together to optimise opportunities Be a self-sustaining organisation For more information contact the Centre or see our Website - neurosupport Norton Street, Liverpool L3 8LR Tel: Fax: Website: Charity No: Glance is available in large text or braille on request Glance is available on the Neurosupport website: If you wish to be added to the Glance mailing list, please contact the Information Officer using the telephone number or above. Neurosupport does not necessarily share all of the views or opinions expressed in Glance. 8 Glance sponsored by Slater and Gordon Lawyers

Glance neurosupport Supporting people with neurological conditions and their families October/November 2014 Strong Arm of The Law See Page 2 New Room Hire Discount for Small Charities We are pleased to

Glance National support for all neurological conditions October/November 2015 The Brain Charity is born... See page 2 Even more support for carers See page 3 Charity Race Night 27th November See page 5

The heart that truly Forget-Me-Not Tribute Funds Make a donation to Alzheimer Scotland in honour of someone you love Whether you make one donation in someone s memory, or want to regularly fundraise in

BUSINESS NAME Health and Care Together Health and Care Together Wigan Borough Local Involvement Network Summer 2009 Wigan Borough Local Involvement Network (LINk) Newsletter 16 November 2011 Use your experience

Thank you for your support TEXT GIVING You can make an instant one off donation by texting HEAD18 5 to 70070 There is no additional charge for this service. Thank you to all our volunteers and everyone

Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust No Smoking Policy The NHS has a responsibility for the nation s health. Protect yourself, patients, visitors and staff by adhering to our no

From the moment I contacted Bowel Cancer UK, right up until the day of my event, the support and enthusiasm given by the team helped me achieve my fundraising target and aim of supporting such an important

Dogs Unite Organiser Guide Get started pre event planning Thank you for taking the time to organise a Dogs Unite event. Every hour another person in the UK goes blind, and your event will help make a life-changing

Citizen Leadership happens when citizens have power, influence and responsibility to make decisions Principles and Standards of Citizen Leadership By the Changing Lives User and Carer Forum including What

After diagnosis Information for parents and carers of children with autism After diagnosis We want a world where all people living with autism get to lead the life they choose. Everyone living with autism

Carer support services www.lbhf.gov.uk1 Hammersmith & Fulham...3 Getting support from family, friends and other carers...4 Young carers...7 An assessment for you and for the person you are looking after...

YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO FUNDRAISING TO HELP MUSICIANS THANK YOU Thank you for deciding to fundraise for Help Musicians UK. Whatever you decide to do, every penny raised will help musicians when they need

Faraday News 27 th November 2015 It is all systems go at Faraday from next week as far as the Christmas Productions and Music Concert are concerned. The children are all working hard to learn their lines

The Court and your child: when social workers get involved easy words and pictures The Court and your child when social workers get involved People These are the people who appear in the booklet. 2 3 Text

Scotland s autism charity Do something amazing for autism Autism affects 1 in 100 people in Scotland and Scottish Autism is committed to enabling those with autism to lead happy and fulfilling lives. We

Models for Self- Directed Support broker support Getting There Discussion paper getting there Outside the Box November 2012 Introduction Introduction what this section covers: About Getting There Summary

DISCOVER YOUR LIFE-CHANGING COURSE AT THE MERSEY CARE RECOVERY COLLEGE Your Future, Your Way AT THE RECOVERY COLLEGE, EVERYTHING IS GEARED AROUND HELPING YOU ENJOY A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE A GREATER ABILITY

Andover and District Mencap Registered Charity No. 1040832 May 2015 2 Dear Staff & Volunteers I hope you are all well, and that the spring / summer season brings you that happy feeling that it brings to

The complete guide to becoming a mortgage advisor Mortgage advisors help people with one of the biggest purchases of their lives, helping them to secure a mortage to buy or re-mortgage property. If you

Who we are and what we do What care do you provide? St Joseph s Hospice offers care to people living in North and East London. Our services include nursing and medical care, emotional support, practical

Living with NMO Work and money who can advise? LIVING WITH NMO Work and money who can advise? This booklet is part of a series of Living with NMO booklets bringing together practical information, ideas

TREKSTOCK FUNDRAISING PACK Thank you for choosing to raise money for Trekstock - no matter how big or small, we are extremely grateful for your support. Every penny you raise will help us to provide vital

Caudwell Children A Guide To Our Family Services For Disabled Children Supported by caudwellchildren caudwellchildren.com caudwellkids How We Can Help You may be reading this information because a child

1 A guide to prostate cancer clinical trials In this fact sheet: What is a clinical trial? Why are trials done? What are trials looking into at the moment? How are clinical trials done? Should I take part

A Guide to Organising a Group Viewing of the Open Your Eyes to Elder Abuse in Your Community DVD There's No Excuse for Elder Abuse Contents 1 Introduction 3 How to use this guide? 4 Preparation and Planning

You CAN raise $1800 (and MORE!) in just 4 weeks! Step-by-Step Instructions This package includes: Fundraising 101 and getting prepared Plan of action calendar Two options for follow-up letter/email Final

INVESTORS IN PEOPLE REPORT Guy's & St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust Presented by Kate Baker Investors in People Practitioner On behalf of Investors in People South of England November 2015 (14-04922) Introduction

DOING GOOD DOES YOU GOOD A pocket guide to helping others Contents 02 Introduction 03 What is altruism? 04 What are the health benefits? 08 Things to consider before you start 10 What you can do 18 Doing

www.peacehospicecare.org.uk Events Guide November 2013 - April 2014 Get involved with our fundraising events and support your local charity! We need to raise 4 million this year in charitable income to

20 Fundraising Ideas Thank you so much for choosing to fundraise for! We know that it can be difficult to think of various ways to raise money, so we have thought of a few ideas to get you started 1. Cake

A Friends Group for Your Church A toolkit for action, from the National Churches Trust March 2013 National Churches Trust, with support from English Heritage Friends: are people like you... Churches, chapels

Look after your mental health It s important to take care of yourself and get the most from life. This booklet suggests 10 practical ways to look after your mental health. What is mental health? Hi, how

Brain injury can be devastating for families and carers as well as the people directly affected. These cases require specialist advice and support and that is what the Brain Injury Group provides. It is

AVON 39 The Walk to End Breast Cancer TEAM HANDBOOK Thank you being part of an AVON 39 Team! Time and time again we ve heard that being part of a team enhances all team members AVON 39 experience. Whether

Fundraiser s 100 Appeal Toolkit Full of handy hints and tips to help you make the most of your fundraising! CMTUKwww.cmt.org.uk t: 01202 432048 / e: info@cmtuk.org.uk @CMTUnitedKingdom Dear Fundraiser,

Multiple Sclerosis & MS Ireland Media Fact Sheet This fact sheets gives a summary of the main facts and issues relating to Multiple Sclerosis and gives an overview of the services offered by MS Ireland.

what could you do?? Our supporters have run, swum, climbed, sung, golfed and walked - not to mention danced and partied. In doing so, they ve also helped us look for cures for diseases and provide scholarships

factsheet Assessments and the Care Act Getting help in England from April 2015 carersuk.org factsheet This factsheet contains information about the new system of care and support that will come into place

Southend Carers Winter 2014 Edition 9 Welcome to the 9th edition of the Carers Newsletter! Dear Carers Love it or loathe it, Winter is most definitely upon us again. This time of year can put extra pressure

The Mental Capacity Act The Mental Capacity Act Helping and supporting people who are unable to make some decisions for themselves Easyread This booklet gives information on a law called the Mental Capacity

What you need to know to run a Family Fun Day Contents Finding a suitable site Risk assessments Staffing the fun day Volunteers, checks and training Funding the fun day Free and low cost sports, activities

...Really Changing Lives About Newlife Disabled, terminally ill and life-limited children and their families have been at the heart of the charity since 1991. Since that time we have become, through our

Transition Program Kindergarten 2016 Watching the students in Kindergarten 2015 settle into their classes and school life so quickly, gives me confidence to say that our Kindergarten Transition program

If you are struggling through an unexpected crisis There for you is here to help supporting UNISON members when life gets tough Financial assistance Debt advice Wellbeing breaks Support and information

Keyworker Guide 2015 Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area www.cfcnca.org CFC contributors make it possible for me to maintain my independence. Dear Keyworker: Congratulations on being

Macmillan Cancer Support Volunteering Policy Introduction Thousands of volunteers dedicate time and energy to improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Macmillan was started by a volunteer and volunteers

YoungMinds Info Leaflets Do you know someone who has been sexually abused? Child sexual abuse is, sadly, an all too common experience. We know that 15 30% of adult women have had an unwanted sexual experience

How to Plan a Charity Walk or Run Charity events in any form are always popular, but increasingly, many organizations are choosing to recruit their fundraisers through more interactive events such as walks

Proudly supporting 2015 INFORMATION KIT Welcome to the Latrobe Health Centre River Run. This document outlines many of the things that you will need to know to make your day on Sunday a success. If you

East Street Surgery, South Molton Patient Satisfaction Survey Results 2014 This year following advice from the Patient Reference Group, the practice undertook the survey online but due to lack of uptake

Promotion Guide Thank You! Thank you for adding SmartDollar to your benefits program. You are changing lives by helping your employees take control of their money and get on track for retirement! SmartDollar

Name a Puppy change a life Name a Puppy A name is the first gift that a guide dog puppy receives and is a chance for you to become part of their life-changing story. Why we need your help The guide dog

Legal Support Service South West Support for life after childhood brain and other serious injuries www.childbraininjurytrust.org.uk Hello and welcome to the Legal Support Services booklet for the South

Get the whole story about Critical Illness and how this could affect you Aviva s Critical Illness claims report 2009 Aviva s 2009 critical illness claims report For most of us, the importance of having

Activities for older people in Central North Oxford 2015 Edition Supported by St Margaret s Institute and St Margaret s Church Activities for older people in Central North Oxford 2015 edition My name is

Caring for someone with a brain injury 1. The early stages after injury The period immediately following your relative s brain injury is a frightening and confusing time. The outcome can be very uncertain

To raise 30K in 30 weeks celebrating 30 years of CancerCare FUNDRAISING PACK HELLO! Welcome to your CancerCare Challenge 30 Fundraising guide. We hope that you like it and that it helps you to have fun

Welcome to Headway East London s Community Support Workers Service Thank you for your interest in joining the Headway East London (Headway) Community Support Worker Service. THE WORK OF HEADWAY EAST LONDON

How to Organize a Motorcycle Charity Ride Motorcycle owners are always up for any opportunity to get out and ride. People who plan bike events know that a good ride can be as important as the destination

Thank you! It is fantastic that you ve decided to raise much needed funds for Heads On, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust s charity. Thank you! Living with mental health problems can be life changing,

Bake time for others Whether you have tea and cake with friends or colleagues or host a bake sale at work or in the community, every single slice of cake makes a difference to the support we can give our

With Power of Attorney, the Future is in your hands. Around 45,000 people register Power of Attorney every year in Scotland. You should make your plans too. Call us for more information 0141 287 0470 www.mypowerofattorney.org.uk

Help us to build accommodation for relatives and new facilities for rehabilitation patients, through our Home from Home appeal. Home from Home for patients... Caring for patients as they recover from a